Szepsy’s 2017 6-puttonyos Aszú has been named one of the world’s best wines in a selection by a US luxury lifestyle magazine. Founded in 1976, Robb Report published a list entitled „The Best of the Best” its top list for this year. The selection reflects the balance of power in the global wine market: alongside five French wines and champagnes, the article features one Italian, one South African, one Hungarian, one German, one Spanish and one Australian wine.
Among the Hungarian wines featured on this prestigious list, the magazine highlights the dessert wine from the Szepsy Winery in Mád. The author of the article presents the 2017 vintage of Szepsy’s 6 puttonyos aszú – sourced from a single vineyard, namely the highly prestigious Szent Tamás vineyard – as a landmark Tokaj wine produced in limited quantities. He describes it as an iconic, extremely rare sweet wine that is aged for decades; its price ranges from 1,050 to 1,280 euros per 50 cl.
„In the glass, it glistens with a deep golden sheen; its aroma is hedonistic, with notes of white flowers, ripe peaches, pineapple and tropical fruits, interspersed with burnt honey, honeycomb and spices,” the article states. „The palate is full-bodied, rich and caressing, yet never excessive; the viscosity of a classic aszú is cut through by lively acidity. The mid-palate is slightly more restrained than the flavour of some of the estate’s other 6 puttonyos wines. It provides balance rather than sheer weight, whilst the long finish is spicy and citrusy, spiced with exotic fruits.”
In addition to all this, the article also draws attention to a global trend: according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, global consumption of white wine has risen by around 10 per cent since 2000, whilst that of red wine has fallen by 15 per cent compared with its peak in 2007.
